White House infrastructure coordinator Landrieu hears details about I-81 project in Syracuse visit

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Area officials with a stake in the upcoming Interstate 81 viaduct-replacement project shared details with Mitch Landrieu, infrastructure coordinator at the White House.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) brought Landrieu to the Syracuse Center of Excellence building at 727 E. Washington St. in Syracuse for a Monday roundtable session focused on the project.

Landrieu previously served as the mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana and as lieutenant governor of Louisiana as well.

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens, Alan Marzullo, business manager and financial secretary for IBEW Local 43, were among those providing thoughts and details about the more than $2 billion project.

New York State Assemblyman Al Stirpe (D–Cicero), New York State Senator Rachel May (D–Syracuse), State Senator John Mannion (D–Geddes), Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri (D); Robert Simpson, president and CEO of the CenterState CEO; and Deka Dancil, president of the Urban Jobs Task Force were also among those attending the session.

Gillibrand and Landrieu also used the visit to highlight the funding coming to New York through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which includes billions for the state’s roads, bridges, airports, and water infrastructure. Gillibrand also announced her support for Syracuse’s application for the Reconnecting Communities pilot program as well.

“Today, I’m honored to be hosting White House Infrastructure Coordinator Landrieu to share with him the community grid plan for the I-81 Viaduct. I’m also proud to be announcing my support for Syracuse’s application for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, which would provide federal funding to help Syracuse establish the community grid, revitalize its downtown, and connect workers to good-paying jobs,” Gillibrand said in a news release about the Monday event.

New York will get at least $27 billion from the infrastructure bill. The package included $1 billion to help “reconnect communities” in addition to key provisions from Gillibrand’s Build Local, Hire Local Act, “which was inspired by the legacy of I-81,” per Gillibrand’s news release.

Additionally, Gillibrand won $300,000 for I-81 construction job training to help young people who are not enrolled in school or participating in the formal labor market get the support and training they need to start careers in construction, specifically working on the I-81 viaduct-replacement project.